The rat PIM-3 (originally termed KID-1, KID “kinase induced by depolarisation”), frog PIM-1, and human and murine PIM-1 are all known to have serine/threonine protein kinase activity in in vitro phosphorylation assays. The high polypeptide sequence similarity between human, murine and rat PIM-3, frog PIM-1, and human and murine PIM-1, demonstrates that human and murine PIM-3 are a serine/threonine protein kinase.
Rat PIM-3 is described by Feldman, J. D. et al. (J. Biol. Chem. (1998) 273, 16535-16543). Rat PIM-3 is induced in specific regions of the hippocampus and cortex in response to kainic acid and electroconvulsive shock suggesting that PIM-3 is involved in neuronal function, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory as well as kainic acid seizures and some nervous system-related diseases such as seizures and epilepsy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,540, Konietzko, U. et al. (EMBO (1999) 18, 3359-3369) and Eichmann, A. (Oncogene (2000) 19, 1215-1224) also refer to PIM-3 kinase.